Last year my husband relocated for work to an area 100 miles away from where we were living. Being quite fond of him I figured I would move as well. This meant selling my house, giving up my business and uprooting my life totally. Given this, he was keen to support me in finding a new direction in my life, and as I had always had a vague notion that I would like to do a PhD he suggested I look into this; which I did. Previously I had applied for 2 funded PhDs and never got anywhere, so, given that this was a chance for my husband to support me (!) I chose to go down the route of self-funding a part time PhD.

So last September I thought I would apply to the university that was most local to my new location. This wasn’t just geographically easy, I had also been reading around the topic and several papers had been published by researchers based here, so it made sense in that way as well. I surprised myself and was offered an interview, and subsequently a place with the biology department to start in February.

Great – I was all set to go.

However, life gets in the way, and what with moving house and family commitments I realised that the following September was a more appropriate time to start, so I postponed my place.

In the meantime, I was questioning everything and figured I may as well explore other options, just in case. I sent off three more applications to universities and had interviews for all of them. I was then offered two more places – one in geography and one in psychology. What I learned from this (and there is a slight possibility that I am cynical) was that although I may not be a fundable option, universities liked the look of my money!

I decided on the psychology option, as although my chosen subject fitted with the other areas, when I talked about the possibilities with other people both they and I realised that the psychology option made me “light up” and show most enthusiasm.

So, I was all set to go. However, you may remember I was still moving house, across the country. Eventually this happened, taking rather longer than expected as these things do. I now had a new house, which needed a lot of work, and I needed a part time job to fund my studies. I applied for several and was offered 5 different positions, most of which were self employed or zero hours lecturing or teaching. I took them all on and for June and July things were manic as I worked all the hours I could to earn the funds for the first year of university. August came and things calmed down on the work front, but still the house needed work. Most notably for my PhD, there was nowhere I could work in the house. We decided to install a home office in a caravan in the garden, this wasn’t the most ideal solution, but was practical and affordable. I decorated it and set a room up as an office.

Now I was all set to go. I finished some of the jobs, and ensured the others were more sustainable, but still bought in enough money to fund myself. I decided the next thing to do was to read some of the many recommended books on doing a PhD. This could have been done earlier, but I had made do with blogs and online content. The books I read rather than being inspiring actually made me feel rather discouraged. Everything was aimed at people just out of a Bachelors or Masters. The perfunctory mentions of older students made me feel, as had the applications for funded positions, distinctly second class. I believe there is an expectation that younger PhD candidates will make more use of their qualification than older ones. Younger ones may often be those who did particularly well at undergraduate level, and the research environment agrees with them. In contrast older PhD students may have left full time education disillusioned, been more interested in working, needed financial security or simply been discouraged from applying to do further study. However I would say the life experience, the expectation of what is involved and the skills learned through a working life can more than compensate for any perceived shortcomings. Moreover, as mature students may have been involved at higher levels of work environments already they have an understanding of certain internal politics, and on completion (I hope!!!!) may be well placed to move swiftly into academia.

Anyway – I was all set to go. The university sent the things for me to register, and pay, which I filled in. I contacted my future supervisor about any recommended background reading or preparation, and I waited with excitement and anticipation. In passing my husband said he had seen a funded position that I might be interested in. I brushed it aside. Money is great, but there is a certain power to be had in paying for your own education. I liked the control and the flexibility I had. I did eventually look at the position he had mentioned – it did look quite good, but the closing date was the day before. Oh well, I thought, I have nothing to lose, so I sent in an application – with a CV that was now out of date. I was truly shocked to be offered an interview. Unfortunately, I could not make it, so thinking they would immediately rule me out I asked for a skype interview. Again, I was surprised this was granted. The interview didn’t go very well, but that was OK. I was happy with my part time, self funded PhD that was starting in a weeks’ time. That was what I had been building up to for a whole year. That was where I was going.

I was offered that PhD. Fulltime and fully funded.​Given the work I had put into the part time position, and the amount I had needed to put in place to support myself, and the psychological place I was in; looking forward to starting the following week, I nearly turned it down! Nearly, but not quite. Money does speak, as does the opportunity to work fulltime on a single research project. I start this October.

Do you ever remember as a child being told “There is no such word as can’t?”

​I do, and I have to say it seemed a silly thing to say. Either the speaker didn’t like word contractions or they doubted my own assessment of a situation.

“I can’t do it”

“There’s no such word as can’t”

(does he not like work contractions?)

“I cannot do it”

“Don’t be silly”

(it can’t be word contractions)

“But I can’t”

“Yes you can”

(am I lying?)

Now as an adult I can understand there is a theory that this is being encouraging, but to me it was just confusing and confidence destroying. It told me that I as a child was unable to assess my own ability and I had to rely on another person to inform me of what I could and could not do.

Admittedly now as an adult I have children coming to me informing me they can’t do something, when I believe if they tried again, tried in a different way or altered some behaviour they could do it without any problem. However instead of telling them “There’s no such word as can’t,” I simply reply “Yet.”

I love this word “yet”

It contains in just 3 letters bounds of possibilities.

​

All the world is open to you in “Yet.”

Well that is how I see it. In yet I am acknowledging, for myself as well as for the children that currently there is a situation when my ability or something else is limiting achievement. I am seeing things as they are, not trying to say persuade myself of an alternative reality where currently I can do “it” whatever it may be. I am also giving the children the power to assess their own ability, and for me as an adult to believe them.

However, that is not where I am happy to leave it. By using “yet” I am setting up for a future change. I hope for the children, as well as for myself, when they here that word “yet” it tells them to hope, to believe in their future selves, just as much as I believe in their current self. It tells them seeing things as beyond their grasp now doesn’t mean it always has to be that way.

​Recently on a group I am in on Facebook, someone posted a message. It started as

“I love forest school and I know it works, but I need some evidence to convince other people.”

My immediate reaction was of course Forest school is great we all know that… then I stopped and thought.

​Firstly, just like all of us, I am a part of a social media bubble, which in my case means all forms of environmental education, nature interaction and experiential learning are seen as important. This means there is a danger of thought polarisation and as such I have to be open to question my own thinking, and not rely on gaining a balanced approach through other people.

I therefore started thinking “How do I know nature interaction is worthwhile?”

My first step here, was that word, “KNOW” how can we be said to know anything. This of course is a big philosophical question that has been debated over many millennia (1), from Plato to Euler, from Descates to Russell and is of course a major branch of philosophy know as epistemology (2). I am not the right person to go into all of that; it is not my area of expertise, but I will summarise a very basic approach – to know means;

The person believes the statement to be true

The statement is in fact true

The person is justified in believing the statement to be true (3)

And I love Eulers’ approach summarised in this diagram

So do I know nature interaction is worthwhile?

The person believes the statement to be true

I believe it because of several different things.

I enjoy being outside and I feel it does me good.

I have run many different approaches to environmental education and the outdoors, and in my experience, I have seen how much children enjoy it, and what they get out of it.

The children tell me how important it is to them

Schools, parents, teachers, governors, head teachers, police and more feedback on both how the children talk about the experience, but also what they observe in changes for the children.

I am not alone in this – other people who run similar sessions talk about their experiences and feedback they get, which mirrors my own.

Well that does seem that added all together nature, forest school and environmental education is an excellent approach to both learning and wellbeing. Much of the time this is all that is needed. Educational establishments and funders love this sort of anecdotal data. It is easy to understand, can be effectively to sell an approach and make me feel all warm and fuzzy.

I think therefore I am justified in believing in the power of nature interactions. So I “know it works.”

But, I am still not convinced this is the answer. There are still the other areas of knowledge and although this is all good – there is the saying “the plural of anecdotes is not data!”

The statement is in fact true

Wow, not only does my simple question ask what is meant by knowledge, it also asks what is meant by truth – I maybe regretting I started on this path!

Truth, like knowledge, is surprisingly difficult to define (4)

In fact so much so I am not going to go into the concept of truth here. I just suggest you look up “What is truth” (5, 6 and 7, for a quick start!)

I think I will go for the legal definition – “beyond reasonable doubt.” There has been quite a bit of research into forest schools over the past 20 years, and much more into the wider area of environmental education. A good starting point for reading some of this research can be found here (8).

From a personal perspective when I first started forest schools I did a simple study. We were working in the foundation stage of three schools for two years. Each school had approximately 60 children per year, so 180 children attended forest school over those 2 years. Using just the normal levels found in the EYFS curriculum I analysed the achievements of those children who attended forest schools and compared them with the 180 children whose data was available two years prior to starting forest school. I found in the years of attending forest school pupils achieved significantly (I use Mann Whitney U to test this!) higher levels in certain areas of the foundation stage curriculum (see my table below).

Now we are getting away from the problem of simply using anecdotes. This is actual studies, some of which are qualitative and give data! Great! Surely I can now say forest school works and know it to be true!

Is there room for any reasonable doubt here? I would argue yes. Given the complexity of humans can any one aspect actually be isolated?

The data above doesn’t give an idea of the other areas of the curriculum, maybe there was a reduction in achievement? (as I remember it there wasn't any significant change but this was unpublished, and I have no longer got access to my original work). Moreover, there is the Hawthorne effect (9)! This says people do better when something – anything – is altered; basically, they like attention! Maybe the fact that we, as an outside organisation were spending time with the classes was what affected the data, not the form of intervention.

I also have this distinct sneaking suspicion that anyone who loves something, when they study it they may well find it “works.” I have not just worked outside in education, but also in maths, poetry and art. Look into any of these areas and you will find equal, if not more evidence that increasing this sort of learning can do a lot, not just to a child’s achievement in that subject, but also to helping to develop other curriculum and non-curriculum areas. (10, 11, 12, 13 and 14)

​One of the worst things I can imagine is singing in a choir. I would hate it. I can’t sing, I don’t like music, all that noise, inability to escape, no space – it is my ideal of hell. And yet people love it. There is much anecdotal evidence and research (15 and 16) that has been done that says how important it is. Here my beliefs do not match the research. I am not willing to change my beliefs and throw myself into singing despite the research. ​

I must be open to the idea that nature and learning or wellbeing don’t go together. I must be willing to embrace the “null hypothesis (no effect has been seen) on any study or approach I undertake. Otherwise I am likely to get a false positive!

However I feel I am getting much closer the knowing environmental education and interaction works. Going back to Eulers diagram, I feel there is some justification to be in the overlapping space of the two large circles. I just need to make that final step!

The person is justified in believing the statement to be true

I am not sure a true answer will ever be possible. What we can aim for is justification of evidence. I would argue we need (and in many cases already have);

Have you heard the phrase "there is no I in team?" My response is always "no, but with a little effort you will find me!"

I recently wrote about some distinctly poor team building experiences I and other people have had. Obviously this is not the case with all team building and I am sure many people can give positive and helpful examples, however I was surprised at the overwhelmingly negative response I got to the phrase “team building.” Teams in general though– a shared goal and shared endeavour - are important. Given this I have been working on developing delivery of “mindful teams.”

So what are mindful teams? Well the first question really to ask is what is mindfulness? I have recently seen a magazine, which seems to essentially boil down mindfulness to a way of parting with your money – everything was about buying more things to make you more mindful. This is not mindfulness!!

The most accepted definition of mindfulness come from John Kabat Zinn (who has been referred to as the father of mindfulness). He says;

“Mindfulness means paying attention in a particular way; On purpose, in the present moment, and nonjudgmentally.”1

Another way of stating this is

“Mindfulness means moment-to-moment, non-judgmental awareness. It is cultivated by refining our capacity to pay attention, intentionally, in the present moment, and then sustaining that attention over time as best we can. In the process, we become more in touch with our life as it is unfolding.”2

Therefore a mindful team is one that chooses to pay attention to all members, without judgement, see what is there now and accepts the team and it’s members.

All good so far. Nice and easy. If the first part of mindfulness is about paying attention. To see what is really there, and not what is believed to be there. That sounds like it wouldn‘t be too hard, and yet consider it in reality.

It is easy to hear one side of a story, to see one thing and make a judgement based upon this. It is easy to label a person, and then use that label to justify their and other’s behaviours. This is stereotyping – a means of using quickly gained information or prior knowledge to simplify a social situation.3 And stereotyping can be useful – do you have a friend of whom you can say “they always exaggerate,” “they are never serious” or “they are bad at maths?” Or maybe someone reminds you of someone else – and you use that information to make quick judgements. Miss Marple was the epitome of this!4 Nine times out of ten your view of that person may be correct. But what about the tenth time? When you apply the stereotype incorrectly. That time after the previous nine when something is different. Can you be bothered to look and see what is really there? Allow your beliefs to alter? Many people can’t. Take the situation of the boy who cried wolf,5 His actions had formed a stereotype belief in people’s minds, so no one was willing to look, investigate further and see the truth in this situation in the here and now.

Being mindful enough to challenge prior beliefs is not easy, which is why stereotypes can be so persistent. It is time consuming, can create cognitive dissonance 6 (a sense of unease trying to believe conflicting ideas) and may even simply confirm prior beliefs. Yet if a team is to be mindful it is necessary.

The second part of a mindful team is to be non-judgemental. This again is an uphill struggle. We all have our like and dislikes, of people, of ways of working and of behaviours. We often label certain things as “good, polite, bad or rude.” If you give something to someone we expect a “thank you” and when one is omitted that can lead to a judgement. If someone were to go to the front of a queue, (and I am speaking as someone who is English!) it would be seen very negatively (and note the cultural implications there). Again there is nothing inherently wrong with expecting certain “manners” indeed these expectations can be said to be a social lubrication, but if we are to be mindful, we need to be able to accept any and all behaviours without initial judgement. To see where that action comes from and hold it, with kindness, and see it for what it actually is.

A mindful team is one in which the present time is the most important. It does not rely on past successes (or failures), on a built-up reputation, that means more than is there today. It does not rely on future aims and ambitions, on what could, or could not be; or on preserving an image. It is there for now and working within this present time. Given the changes that business and teams face this is essential. Acceptance of past knowledge is great. It gives a base on which to build, acceptance that there will be future challenges is also great, it gives something to look to, but we can never be truly future proof, and the past will never be all there is. Teams need to be operating in the now, and adapting as and when things happen.

The final part of a mindful team is being inclusive; not a competition. This of course goes against the concept of using “team building” as a tool in recruitment, which I mentioned in my earlier post. Can we every really be competitive whilst also being non-judgemental and kind? If we are being mindful then we need to appreciate not just the team’s outcomes but the team members, and their individual value. A friend put this as we need to value the people not just results. Again, in my earlier post I mentioned the seeming need to homogenise a team, to try and bring everyone in line, which can be destructive, and ultimately may not help in the team’s goals. Mindfulness is not just non-judgmental, but also operates with kindness. An aim is to hold your attention on an aspect and explore it with kindness. This means that “irritating” person; that “lazy” colleague; and that person you avoid whenever possible need non-judgmental kindness.

Well that’s not a tall order then!

But there is one final point. This is done deliberately. No-one is suggesting it is easy or comes naturally. It isn’t something that can happen overnight; it is something a business or team chooses; something which can be worked towards. By a business opting into a mindful approach both team members and leaders can gain confidence, loose stress and be more productive. And who wouldn’t want that?

​This is something we at Fire and Air have been looking at. Find out more about our mindful team days.

Is there anything that will be more effective at striking dread into a person than the phrase “team building?”

The notion, often presented in popular culture of team building is outdoors, in the cold and discomfort, playing meaningless games, at which one person or persons can shine, to the belittlement of all others. An experience to be avoided at best and endured at worst.

​I have to say this has been my personal experience as well. A recent activity got me thinking about this and in discussion with several other people, their responses ranged from a horrified shiver, to “I’m not good at team building,” “it’s not for me,” and “avoid it at all costs.” That left me wondering, why should something that aims to promote group cohesion be seen in such a detrimental way by so many people?

I decided to review the team building sessions I had attended or been an observer of and consider some of the draw backs of team building and why they may occur.

I started with one of my recent experiences. As a group we were asked to decide which six items we would rescue from a plane wreckage in the rainforest from a variety offered. We had a discussion them presented the answer to someone who had the “right” answers, who provided his judgement of the group based on this.

OK so far, sounds a bit of fun, nothing too concerning, and yet why was this such a negative experience? Upon consideration I concluded that;

This was a form of closed questioning. There was clearly a right and wrong answer, and prior knowledge would stand you in good stead. As someone who has undertaken bushcraft and survival training, I found this easy to do, considering the rule of threes; (you can survive three minutes without air, 3 hours without shelter, 3 days without water and 3 weeks without food). However, this very knowledge upset the balance of discussion, and aware as I was of this simply acted as a way of holding me back from fully participating in the group.

My next concern was that a judgement was made based on the outcome. For example, in this situation, we were compared to other groups who had got it wrong. – They had chosen to take microwave meals (we took biscuits based on the fact they could be eaten as they were and were higher calorific value), They took matches (we didn’t, I am not bad at lighting fires without matches!) These examples of others failing was commented on very negatively by the leader. I am never comfortable when others are put down. I have seen far too often that the “others” will more often than not turn in to “you” – or anyone who isn’t present. Therefore, this simply added to the sense of insecurity and distrust.

We were criticised for some items that were taken (flare gun), but as the main items needed could be done in just three or four items, the rest was just padding. We were not given any chance to explore this - that would fall outside the closed nature of the game. It was merely noted as being wrong.

I asked the leader what he would have taken – his answer was a compass. However, I pointed out that just as lighting a fire could be done without matches, so navigating could be done without a compass, so if a group was criticised for one item, why was an equivalent one correct? We were not given an answer to this, but I was left with a very strong feeling that asking a question and criticising the leader was unacceptable behaviour, so rather than being a space to develop ideas it was a space to underline a given hierarchy.

Finally, I believed the person leading it lacked the real knowledge to develop this or to be able to critically analyse his own responses. He had learnt to deliver the game and had a nice patter in why things do or don’t work, but not the deep learning needed to really take the concept on board. This came across in his own insecurity and distrust of others.

So how about some of the other experiences I had been witness to. After all many sessions can be lead by very competent people, and most participants don’t have a penchant for questioning them. Given this I reviewed some areas of concern. These fell into four different areas;

Communication

I was once asked to observe a group who had been asked to create a shelter. There were 7 in the group who had a very quick discussion, that was very demonstrative – it involved lots of gestures, moving to a site and just getting started. One lady however clearly didn’t quite follow the groups’ ideas. She asked for clarification, but none was forthcoming. I believed this wasn’t through any deliberate attempt to exclude this person, rather, as they all understood and didn’t feel the questions, or their answers were necessary. However this lack of communication, and lack of real understanding led to quite an upsetting experience for the person involved, who far from feeling the team was being built up, felt she was very much on the edge of the whole experience, and was unable to take part.

Homogenisation

This follows hot on the heels of communication. If we approach tasks from different points, including different ways to communicate, why do so many team building activities try to level the field and present a single unified task? By doing this the team quickly, subconsciously and consciously ranks themselves against one another. Who is best, who gets things done quickly, who can dominate.

I was observing another group who were working with tools – in this case axes. Each stepped forward to have a go. I noticed one particular person who held back looking distinctly nervous. Once everyone else had had a go she stepped forward. Now between you and me, she was bad!!! Her swing was weak, her aim worse and her technique non-existent. Considering this was probably the first time she had ever done anything like this, that isn’t surprising, and not why it stuck with me. That was the reaction of some of her colleagues. Nothing was said, but glances were exchanged, eyes rolled, and there was clearly a feeling of typical – why do we have to be stuck with her? I wasn’t alone in observing this – she saw it as well. That was clear.

There seems to be a message given out in these situations that you must be the best and be popular to succeed. It feels like a return to school – only the “in” crowd matter. Those who struggle, who are on the edge of the social interactions, who approach things in a unique manner, well, they are not what is wanted.

In some team building activities there is no allowance for individuality, and indeed the self is seen as something to sacrifice for the team. Effectively the message appear that individuals lack worth, working alone is wrong, and yet many, many tasks are better performed alone, and sometime the lynch pin of an organisation is someone who works best alone.

Undervaluing the Individual​

“He’s such a loner”

“I am so worried she is often alone”

“He likes to be alone, I have tried to change that”

“She has no close friends”

I work with schools and these are some of the comments I have heard, and they are not limited to schools! People are very concerned about others being alone. I get this. We are a social animal and it is natural that we should be concerned if someone seems lonely. And yet being alone doesn’t mean lonely. I remember one person talking about their daughter, whose teacher had called them in as they were concerned she had no close friends. She was outraged. Her daughter was happy, liked by most of her class and never had thought about being lonely. Yet the teacher had picked her out as having a “problem.” This is not limited to schools: working alone, going for a walk during lunch time, not joining in office gossip and not going to office “socials” have all been highlighted as evidence of undesirable behaviours, and requiring team building, and greater integration, greater movement toward a unified centre. Yet is a loner a problem, or is the problem that the loner is different, can’t be easily managed in the same way or reacts in diverse ways? Does team building help this situation, or does it, like the teacher in the example above create an issue that isn’t there? Does it tell the individual they need to change, and cannot be valued as they are?

Using Team building as a cull

On talking to a friend, they told me about an example of team building being used as a means of making a promotion decision. An exercise was given where the candidates were observed as a team. The best would be recruited to a higher role in charge of the others. Now given that any interview is stressful, and you are all too aware that it is a direct competition, team building is hardly a useful tool! In this situation are you getting the person who could manage others on a long term basis, who could balance different concerns or the person who can effectively suppress and manipulate?

Finally does your team really need “building”

I worked with the volunteers of a small charity once. Certain issues had been raised and it was believed that the volunteers needed “team building.” The member of staff who contacted me spoke of “needing change,” “moving on” and “redressing the balance.” “We need to shake them up and move beyond the comfort zone.” These were great platitudes and ones I have often heard. I spoke to both the volunteers and the staff to find out a bit more. It became clear that everyone thought they were undervalued, were not listened to and their contribution was ignored. I took the decision that team building was not the first stop. Here was a group who professed to value one another but this wasn’t coming across. Team building was seen as a sticking plaster to mend something. Yet on looking I was unsure anything was really broken.​I decided to take a different approach. I have trained as a mindfulness teacher, which focuses on people stopping, and with kindness holding in deliberate awareness what was there without judgement. I wondered how this would look for a business……

I don’t know about you but there seems to be a lot on social media and other places about decluttering at this time of year. From spreading it out over the month of January, to the whole year, to a mass clear out. Ever heard that phrase – “hold it and if it doesn’t give you joy or isn’t useful then get rid of it?” It all sounds good, and people have even made their career from advising people on this.

To me this is very, very, very, very, very, very, very upsetting! A travesty, a disaster, a calamity, a tragedy and a farce. You may be able to tell I am not a fan of minimalism!

So why you may ask – well, the concept is simply promoting the creation of landfill. There is no place to get rid of things.

Take the concept of donating to charity shops. I know friends always justify their clear out by saying they will be donating things to charity. This is great – anything to prevent items going to landfill, and it is always good to support charities – enabling them to earn money.

However, I have started to question this. I donate things regularly to charities, and over the past year I have helped clear my aunt’s house – after she moved into a home. I registered my details with charities, to enable them to claim back the tax. That meant that with some charities like Age UK I received a report on the amount my items had made for the charity. In one quarter, after donating around 20 bin bags of items I found they had raised £16.53 from the sale of these items. That means many of the items were not sold. So what happened?

Basically the amount of things given far exceeds the demand for those things. Therefore charity shops have a choice. Do they send the donated items to landfill, or do they try and pass or trade on your items. An estimate is that only 10-30% of items donated are sold in charity shops1, and 30% of clothes end up directly in landfill2. The BBC3 produced an interesting article on how many of your items are traded abroad. They are sold in this country for a small amount then taken to countries such as Poland, Ghana and Pakistan and sold on for a profit. This is great as it keeps items out of landfill, however, as with many cheap imports it can put the livelihood and local economy at risk this is not much of an answer either. Whilst these sites talk mostly about clothes, the same principal applies to other items.

Therefore instead of decluttering I have a different set of “New year challenges” which I will be following and I hope you may choose one as well.

Make do

I love shopping – there is something about the acquisition of something new that gives pleasure. However my challenge this year is not to buy. Often I try and justify things by telling myself how much I will use it (and that is normally true), but this year I am going to attempt to not purchase, unless necessary. Instead I will review what I have and see if I can “make do” with what I have. This may include being creative in how I use things – from not throwing away that favourite mug with the broken handle, but instead using it to hold pens, to using the mixer I got from a jumble sale mumble, mumble years ago that is slightly bent and has seen better days, but still keeps going.

The advantage of this of course is that my “New year’s resolution” is to do nothing! That always makes it easy to keep.

And Mend

I am falling out of love with one of my favourite coats. I realised it was simply that the pocket was torn, and I spend half the time wearing it searching for things in the lining. I am going to mend that, and then there are those trousers… and that ornament that the cat knocked over. I might even be able to mend that mug!

Be Creative

Just because something was sold for one purpose doesn’t mean it has to be used for that! A few years ago I realised I had a plethora of T-shirts I had not worn for years, and was unlikely to. Some had “gone” around the neck, others were torn, or no longer my taste or some simply didn’t fit. Rather than throw them out I utilised them to make a rather interesting throw quilt, with the pictures and logos adding memories and personalisation to a chair in need of colour!

Learn a craft

Obviously some of these ideas take some time and some skill. I don’t think I am too bad on the practical side. I am as happy driving a sewing machine as a drill. I have mastered the complexities of super glue and I will never be without duct tape. However there are things I can’t do, or could be better at. Therefore I will try and sign up to a course in DIY - what is there in your local area?

Buy second hand – frequent charity shops

Have you ever wondered where your clothes are made? By buying them are you adding to child labour/slave wages/resource and water crisis? By buying second hand, especially from a charity, you are massively reducing this concern, and ensuring your money ends up in a less morally murky place.

Not only that you helping charities raise money

And you are able to be smug over any concerns about clothing reducing landfill, reducing transport costs of clothes to other countries and reducing concerns on flooding poor economies with cast off items, and of course you are helping those who do want to send their things to charity shops.

Finally you save money!

There is a reason the old catch phrase was “Reduce, Reuse – and then recycle.”

If you have seen of my advent calendar posts you will know I have completed a craft for each day of advent.One of these was making candle sticks out of small logs. Someone asked me if I had used a hand drill – a brace and bit - to create these. I had to admit I hadn’t. I know from past experience that the depth needed to be stable with a candle was greater than expected, and because it was quite a wide hole to drill that was very hard work when doing it by hand! Instead I used an electric drill, which made things much easier, well I say that, but my first attempt was a bit of a disaster.

The small log I chose wasn’t wide enough for the hole that was drilled with the bit. Basically, the outside of the post that should have held the candle cracked and broke off leaving a rather scraggy bit of much smaller wood. I thought rather than give up I would try again. I cut down the log (it was a bit short now, but I thought it would be alright) This time I used a smaller drill bit, and made a decent hole, and I even managed to find a narrower candle to fit it. All go for a candle holder…. However, when I put the candle in the hole the log fell over. It was now so small a piece of wood it didn’t have the weight or depth to be stable enough, and that is a bad combination for something on fire! I put this failure to one side and we made a few much better candle sticks. It was a learning experience, but not much more.

Until I was running a meditation session and thought it might be nice to try lighting some incense. Unfortunately, I could not find the holder, but then I saw my failed candle stick, and realised it was perfect for the incense stick. I had managed to repurpose my mistake, and even got a compliment for it. I realised then that for some groups making a candle stick can be too hard, but an incense holder may work better, and that even the things I have given up on could be used.

This brought to mind some of my ideas on mistakes, how our need as a society to live the perfect life can be a real strain on our mental health – for both adults and young people. How there often isn’t room for ‘having a go’ - trying things out and not making it, for being second or third best, or even the worst! With the rise of social media, our actions are scrutinised, and we see the perfected presentation from others for us to live up to. This means the errors and mistakes in our life can feel out of all proportion to the achievements.

I have seen this when running courses. Both children and adults can be overly critical of their work, focusing only on the bits that need improving. I created this story below to consider mistakes, and the role they have in our lives….

A story of mistakes

Leah was in a bad mood. She had worked really hard on her maths and it was normally one of her best subjects. But today they had had a test. It wasn’t too difficult. Just adding big numbers and Leah was normally quite good at this. Today however she had made some mistakes. Even the teacher said she wasn’t as good as normal. Leah didn’t like that. She didn’t like making mistakes. Add to that she wasn’t going home tonight. Her parents were going out and she was going to stay with her grandparents. That meant she couldn’t escape to her bedroom. Leah kicked the ground. The other children were pushing past, talking and running home. Leah was planning how long she could dawdle before she was chided along. She swung her bag in a way she was told not to by her mum and scraped the soles of her shoes along the pavement.

Leah’s Nan stood a little apart from the normal parents doing the pick up. She didn’t know many of them, this was only the second time she had ever picked Leah up from school. She watched Leah walk, her eyes stared down at the pavement, she scowled and scraped her shoes. Nan raised an eyebrow. It looked like thing were not quite right with Leah.

Leah and her Nan drove home in near silence. Nan asked a few questions about Leah’s day, but Leah just shrugged or made indistinct noises. There wasn’t anything she wanted to say. Her maths test was taking up all of her mind.

Once they got to Nan’s house Leah followed Nan in and sat in the living room whilst Nan went and cooked her tea. Leah still had said nothing, she was so upset. It might not have seen a big deal to many people, but to her it meant everything. Leah suddenly noticed Nan sitting in the chair next to her. She wasn’t sure how long she had been there.

“What’s up”

Leah shrugged

“I bet I can make up a story to help you feel better”

Leah shook her head

“Try me”

There was silence.

“It’s maths. I did really badly at school today. I made stupid mistakes. I know everyone will say it doesn’t matter and that it isn’t important. But I hate making mistakes.”

Nan paused for a bit then smiled. “Grab your coat, and hat and gloves.” It was cold out that December evening, and already dark. “We are going for a walk.”

Leah hesitated. She wanted to feel cross, but a walk in the night was unusual. Curiosity got the better of her.They walked to the park near Nan’s house. Leah’s breath made swirling patterns and the air was so cold it felt like it was biting at Leah’s skin.

Nan kept up a quick pace keeping them both warm. Then, when it seemed like it was as far from houses as they could get she stopped.

“Close your eyes, Leah.”

Leah was intrigued, she closed her eyes. Nan gently turned her round, and whispered in her ear “look up.” Leah opened her eyes. “What can you see?”

“I can see stars. Lots of bright shiny stars. “ As nice as the stars were this was not going to change how Leah felt.

“OK,” breathed Nan, “close your eyes again.” She turned Leah to face the other way. “Now look up, what can you see?”

Leah looked up. There was a beautiful bright shiny moon. It was low in the sky and looked huge as it hugged the edge of the tree’s silhouettes. “I can see the moon.” She hadn’t often stopped to just look at the moon and see how beautiful it was.

Nan said “which do you prefer the sky with the moon, or the bit of sky without a moon” Leah looked up at her and smiled.

“With the moon.”

Nan nodded. “Try thinking this… That moon is like your mistakes. It is big, and takes up your whole view, you can only see the moon. But leave it a while and the moon will be higher in the sky. We will have moved, and the moon will seem much smaller. So although now you think a maths test is everything, and it is filling up your whole view, it will change. Just give it time.”

Leah opened her mouth to argue, but Nan went on. “And the stars are still there. No matter how big the moon seems, the stars don’t change. Sometimes they seem smaller because of what else is going on, but they will always be there.”

Nan paused, then carried on “and Leah you said the sky with the moon is nicer. So is life with mistakes. It isn’t wrong to make any mistakes, and sometimes we even have to make the same mistakes many times, but that is much, much better than trying to be perfect all the time. It makes life a lot more interesting, enjoy them.”

Leah was quiet on the walk home. She wasn’t upset any more just thinking, as they reached the house she slipped her hand into Nan’s

“I hope tea is OK”

​Nan was a good cook.

Finally

I am starting a PhD in wellbeing and wildlife – learning in the outdoors. I am seeking funding for this, and as a part of any donation you make I will endeavor to offer you a summary of relevant, up to date research this area, including building resilience and the joy of making mistakes!

This time of year holly takes centre stage… “of all the trees in the woods, the holly bears the crown.”

Have you used holly in your house as a Christmas decoration?

​The deep glossy green of the leaves and, if you are lucky enough to find a female holly you could have some bright red berries to add a festive touch to internal décor. (Yes, there are male and female holly trees, and only the females have berries)

It is obviously commonly used – just today I have been making a Christmas wreath that features a lot of holly – and ivy, and I use holly to cheer up some dull corners at Christmas.

However, do you know why we use holly at Christmas?

There are the practical reasons. Holly is an evergreen, so when the deciduous trees have lost their last leaves, holly is still green. There are the Christian representations of red berries for Christs blood, and prickles for Christs crown.

The best explanation, though, is one that takes into account different beliefs. Holly is seen as a symbol of protection; it is the fairies pick of all the trees – as it gives them somewhere to hide!

If you were an ancient Celt you would know fairies can be a problem. They curdle the milk, upset the cat, and generally cause chaos. You do not want them in your house causing problems! In winter though, they like a bit of warmth, and seek out the shelter of human dwellings. This can be an issue, especially near the winter solstice, when the nights are longest and give the most cover to fairy mischief.

So what can be done? – There are remedies to keep you home fairy free – but these are not always guaranteed to work. As with many aspects of nature, it is often better to work with the problem rather than against it. As everyone know fairies cause far fewer issues when they have somewhere to live – safe and sound. The answer of course is to bring in holly from the outside to give the fairies somewhere to call their own. This solves this tricky little nuisance.

I know this, as I have often asked people about their use of holly around Christmas.

Did you answer yes to having holly in the house? Do you have problems with the fairies?

See – it works….

So why have I told that tale? Well, it always amuses me, and when I use it on a winter’s plant walk, I guess a wry chuckle from participants. But the title of my blog is on Holly, fairies and research.

So what has this got to do with research? In a way nothing, but in a way everything, and to me it explains the importance and power of research.

In educational settings there are always theories as to what should be done to achieve in new and more effective ways. Take the concept of learning styles. Interventions aimed at teachers, asking them to teach in different ways – to target learning styles showed an increase in attainment. Thus the conclusion was that teachers should assess each child’s learning style and present information in this manner.

This bares distinct similarities to the story of fairies; a premise is set out, observations made, and conclusion drawn based on the pre-conceived notion, without putting into place unbiased research open to scrutiny that can be peer reviewed.

So what can be done to over come this “false positive” assumption. The simple answer is good research.Research in psychology and social sciences is often boiled down to quantitative – that is measurable, and qualitative – that is observable.

If we were to take the situation of holly preventing fairy mischief we could do an experiment. In a typical house, or houses we could measure the number of fairy related problems with and without holly to see if that is why people bring holly into the house.

We could measure the effect of fairy problems using questionnaires - give people, both those who do use holly and those who don’t a quiz on their issues with fairies.

Or if we wanted to look at the holly issue more ethnographically, we could do this by interviewing people on their reasons for bringing holly into the house, or observing them as they decorate their homes.

There is a slight possibility that these approaches may debunk my theory on holly, which ruins a perfectly good story. Therefore, I will not be pursuing the matter further.

More importantly however, I feel that theories in education, wellbeing and child development should be open to this sort of approach – what alternative ideas could the explain the findings of the study on learning styles? How could this be assessed? This questioning attitude is essential for all ideas, and the narrative should not obscure the facts.

I am starting a PhD in wellbeing and wildlife – learning in the outdoors. I am seeking funding for this, and as a part of any donation you make I will endeavor to offer you a summary of relevant, up to date research in this area, taking a questioning and analytical stance. I will aim not to let the “good story” outweigh the evidence - this is my chance to try and overcome some of the biases in how information is presented.

On New Friends and General Busy-ness

I have been making new friends. Joanna took us all away for the weekend to a new house where we met her "in laws." There was a dalmatian, who I don't think was very keen on me, despite my cute waggling of my bottom, and my bouncing sideways at her. However there was also Wilis. He is in the picture above and he adored me - we played for ages and ages until I got a bit grumpy and Joanna picked me up and carried me. I of course said I didn't want to be carried, but I was very tired by that point!

I made more new friends at puppy training. I was very good at the behaviours (sit, down, stand and heel), so much so my homework has got harder! However I wanted to go and play with the other puppies, so I barked and danced and generally made lots of noise. I still didn't get to go and play - well at least not until later.

Later this week I am going to meet lots of people from The Forestry Commission - they are the incredibly important people who look after Salcey Forest - I am excited about that, but I have been told I need to be on my best behaviour! I am also going to be attending a "skills sharing session" for leaders in Forest Schools and outdoor education on Friday (join me if you too work outside with children - like me!)

So all in all I have a busy life. However Joanna tells me that I need to sleep and do nothing sometimes. She is often impressed at how I can sleep more or less anywhere, and tells me that unlike many people I am very clever as I sleep when I am tired - so enjoy things more when I am awake. She says that people like her sometimes try to do lots of things and don't always stop when they need to, as they think that doing things is the most important thing in the world, and it is wrong not to keep going and be very busy. Sleeping then gets limited and they wake up tired!!! How silly is that? I know sleep is very, very important, as is just sitting and doing nothing. It really helps me when I want to do something important like learn how to open the stair gate...

The Power of Yet!

I went to puppy training last night with Doggie Do, Doggie Don't, which was fun. I got to meet lots of other puppies, most about my age and one of which I had met before! I was pretty good with all the others - I am so used to meeting people and dogs I take it all in my stride. Helen the trainer said I was very calm and well behaved, which made Joanna very happy - well for that moment anyway.

​We then had to do lots of behaviours - like sit, lie down and stand. I was pretty good, especially at sit! The only thing I couldn't quite get was lying down. I tried really hard, and did get quite a few treats (which was my favourite part of the night - I even got some from Helen!) but I couldn't quite perfect it. I sat down and told Joanna I couldn't do it. She simply answered "Yet."

I was confused, so she explained. Sometimes children come to her and say they can't do something. She answers - Yet. She says it is OK to know that you can't do something and it is OK to say that, but it should never be the end. By saying "Yet" it means it isn't the end - just the beginning! You can then start learning. My training journey is just starting, so believing "I can't do it yet" means believing one day I will be able to do it - I just need to practice, which means Joanna has to work with me - and means more treats for me - YEAH!!!!!